Humidifier



E. W. 'DENMAN Feb. 10, 1953 HUMIDIFIER 3 Sheets-Sheet l F iled May 8. 1950 n l INVENTOR. n EARL w. DENMHN Feb. 10, 1953 E. w. DENMAN 2,628,084

- HUMIDIFIER Filed May 8, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q firw Feb. 10, 1953 E. w. DENMAN HUMIDIF'IER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 8, 1950 FIGS INVENTOR. EARL W. DENMAN BY myt- Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUMIDIFIER Earl W. Denman, Cranford, N. J.

Application May 8, 1950, Serial N 0. 160,651

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to humidifiers that can be used especially in large rooms such as factories of different kinds. To supply moisture in proper form the large areas require a sizable unit consequently, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a structure which can be readily taken apart for ease of installation.

Another object is to provide a unit that can be suspended from the ceiling of a room which tends to eliminate noises which may occur where the apparatus is mounted on a solid room support. By suspending the unit from the ceiling I have found a further advantage and this is, it is easier in the majority of cases, to make connections to the motor and to the source of water supply.

A further object is to provide means in the unit for preventing any flooding of the water therefrom.

Another object is to provide a new and novel Way of feeding water to the diffuser.

Still another object is to provide a construction in which the various parts can be easily made and quickly assembled thereby keeping the cost to a minimum. These and other objects will occur to one familiar with humidifiers from a reading of the following specification taken with the annexed drawings wherein,

Figure l is a part sectional and elevational view on the longitudinal axis of the structure;

Figure 2 is a View the major part of which is on the line 22 of Figure 1 with a portion being on the line 2-2 of Figure 3, the baiile plate in front of the water feed tube being removed;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the major part of the humidifier with the cover, over the motor end removed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the distribution grill;

Figure 5 is a view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

In the drawings wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, the humidifier unit is made up of a base frame structure i on which is mounted an operating unit generally referred to by the number 2. This unit includes an electrical motor 3 supported on a base member 4 which in a way forms part of the frame structure. The motor has a shaft 5 extending from one end and on this extensoin is mounted a sleeve 6 having a collar 1. The sleeve 6 is fastened to the shaft 5 in a satisfactory manner as by a set screw 8. Fastened to the sleeve 6 as by screws 9 is a fan I having a plurality of blades l l. Fastened to the collar 1 is a cu shaped member I2 the flange of which grips a disc plate [3 and holds it by screws l4 to the collar 1. A pan-like structure I is fastened to the base member in any satisfactory manner as by brackets l6 and I! that in turn are fastened as by screws 64 to the motor base member 4.

The pan-like member l5 supports through the medium of bushings l8 and screws [9, a grill 20, which is circular in shape having a large number of vanes 2| which are preferably integral with the grill ring 20 which is mounted in a support ring 22. The vanes 2| are positioned at an acute angle about as shown in Figures 2 and 4 to break up and discharge the water that is thrown against them by the disc l3.

The water is carried in a container 23 that is supported by the frame structure at about as indicated in Figures 1 and 2 and it will be noted from Figure 1 that the pan-like structure 15 extends downwardly into the water container 23, a considerable distance and has a hole 24 therein to pass the water through the lower portion of the grill 20. The lower part of the pan I5 carries a bracket 25 and to this bracket is held a small tube 26 that is formed so that its end projects into the cup [2. Also fastened to the bracket 25 as by screws or studs 21 is a bafile plate 28, the use of which will be later described. Attached to the rim of the pan I5 is a hood member 29, gaskets preferably being used at this junction as well as at places where they may be useful. The hood member 29 has an extension 30 carrying the humidified air outward into the room where the structure is installed.

This structure is made so it can be suspended from the ceiling of a room by means of hangers 3! and 32 that can be fastened directly to the frame I or to blades 33 that are fastened as by spot welding at 34 to the frame structure I. As shown, the members 3! and 32 are fastened to the parts 33 by screws and lock nuts 35 and with this construction the members 3| and 32 may be slotted up to point 66 to provide a vertical adjustment of the unit if desired. Water is fed to the unit by means of a pipe 36, reducing coupling 31 and smaller pipe 38 with a float valve 39 that is connected to float 40 which is hinged to the valve lever at 4|, adjustment being provided by an adjusting screw 42 so that the water level in the tank 23 can be controlled. However, should something go wrong with the float control mechanism, an overflow drain pipe 43 is provided to carry off any water that may arise above the water level indicated by the broken line 44.

As the disc 13 is turned rapidly in a right handed direction looking at Figure 2, it forces water into the tube opening SI and up the tube into the cup I2 from which it is forced through the orifice 62 onto the disc l3 and through the grill 2!". In doing this, some spray is caused which is directed against the baflle plate 28 placed in front of the water pick-up end of the tube 26. While some water may possibly get through into the hood member 29 which also extends downwardly along with the pan I5 into the water tank 23 and to prevent the air blown by the fan H from circulating around in the bottom of this hood 29 a bafile plate 45 across the bottom of the hood 2a is preferably utilized, it being so placed with respect to the hood 30 that it makes a smooth, even flow of the air and the water mixture coming from the grill 20. a

It is to be noted from Figures 1 and 2 that the bottom of the frame structure has a channel shaped member 46 along one side and a L-shaped member 41 on the opposite side. This is to receive a block 48 of porous material such as spun glass or the equivalent for filtering the air coming up through the openings 49 to the fan blades 5 I through the circular opening 50 in the bottom of the pan 15. place by spring members 5! and 52 each having arms 53 positioned over the edge of the filter block 48 as shown in Figure 2. By this construction an operator by taking hold of the arms 53 can pull them back away from the edge of the filter block 48 allowing this end to drop down so that it may be pulled out of the channel 48. The motor 3 is held in position by a U-shaped member 5,4 that is fastened to the base i by screws The filter is preferably held in 55. Clamps 5S and 51 pass around the opposite bearing ends of the motor and engage fingers 58 on the member 54. The clamps 56 and 57 are held in place by screws and nuts 59. Preferably a cushioning member such as soft rubber is used between the clamps 56 and 51 and the bearing ends of the motor. This method of mounting the motor acts to absorb any vibrations which would make noise by the running of the motor. The motor and its directly associated parts are preferably covered by a casing 69 which may be made as an integral unit or into parts such as shown in Figure 1.

In the operation of the humidifier, as the disc [3 is turned by the motor it forces the water in the tank 23 to move toward and into the end B! of the tube 28 and through this tube into the hollow cup l2 from which it is displaced through orifices S2 in the flange of the cup out onto the disc l3 from which it is thrown into the grill 20 and through the vanes 2 l, by reason of the fan I!) which draws air through the filter 48 and the openings 69 and drives it through the vanes 2 l of the grill 28 into the hood 3% out through the hood 3!! into the room. To prevent the movement of the water as it passes into the tube end 6! from spraying out into the hood th baffle 28 is utilized as well as the baffle 45. It will be noted that the hood member 29 has a hole 63 in the bottom. This is for the purpose of draining the water out of the section 25-] when it is desired to disconnect the entire hood from the pan member l5.

From what has been said it will be seen that the base or frame member I is made separately from the vaporizing unit, which includes the motor and is the heaviest part of the structure, whereby it can be easier installed in position and then the vaporizing unit set in place afterwards and the electrical connections made to the motor and the water connections to the base support. I have found that the horizontal mounting of the 'motor as shown is preferable to a vertically 4 mounted motor both as to the life of the motor as well as the ease of replacement or repairs thereto.

It will be obvious that many of the details may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A humidifier comprising a frame structure, a vaporizing unit carried by the frame structure, said unit including; an electric motor carried on a base member forming part of the frame structure, the motor having a shaft extension, a hollow water receiving cup fixedly mounted on said shaft extension, the cup having discharge openings, a water distribution disc rotatably connected to said shaft, a grill circumferentially positioned around the outer edge of said disc with means for supporting the grill in spaced relation to said disc, a fan operatively carried by said shaft, a water feed tube extending from the hollow part of the cup to a point, near the lower part of the grill and disc, a pan like structure carried by said base member and encompassing at least in part the fan, grill, disc, cup and water feed tube, a water tank having a Water level control means therein, a water opening in the bottom of said pan structure which has its bottom extending into the water tank far enough to allow water to come up to the grill, disc and mouth of said feed tube and a hood extending outwardly from said pan like structure.

2. A humidifier as set forth in claim 1 further definedin that the grill has a supporting ring and a vane ring attached thereto, the vane ring having vanes, rectangular incross section, projecting over the peripheral edge of the disc, but spaced therefrom,the vanes being twisted through an acute angle with respect to a radius of the disc for the purpose described.

3. A humidifier as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the grill includes a ring with means for supporting it, the ring having vanes projecting therefrom at a distance so the edge of the disc is located approximately in line with the half length line of the vanes which are preferably twisted slightly so they are not on a radius of the disc for the purpose described.

4. A humidifier as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the hood has a circular portion terminating in a flat surface with an annular rim carrying a sealing gasket and extending beyond the fiat surface forming a rim sector that extends downwardly into the Water tank so the rim with its gasket fits onto the edge of the said pan structure and a baflie plate extending from the junction of the flat surface and inner part of the rim downwardly to outer edge of the rim.

5. A humidifier comprising a frame structure with means for suspending it from a top support, an atomizing unit, said unit including a single electric motor having an extending shaft at one end only, the motor being carried on suitable supporting means, an air fan carried by the shaft, 9. water distributing disc also operatively connected to said shaft extension closely adjacent the fan, a grill positioned circularly around the outer periphery of said-disc, a water tank with regulating means for passing water thereto, a casing member surrounding the fan and disc and supporting said grill, means for passing water into the lower part of said casing member around the lower part of said grill and disc, a water feed tube having one end located adjacent the lower part of said disc to pick up water therefrom, a hollow cup centrally located on the disc and fastened to the shaft with the feed tube entering into the cup having orifices in its rim to allow water to flow from the cap onto the disc and a hood attached to said casing member to receive the air and moisture coming through the rill.

EARL W. DENMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 947,300 Fries Jan. 25, 1910 1,267,166 Bahnson May 21, 1918 Number Number 

